Ejector for printing machines



Aug. 13, 1929. H. THOMPSON 1,724,380

EJECTOR FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed March 16, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet i it :1?

Aug. 13, 1929. H. L. THOMPSON 1,724,380

EJECTOR FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed March 16, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 m Zw I,

Aug. 13;" 1929. H. L. THOMPSON EJECTOR FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed March 16, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet an H mm '1 Patented Aug. 13, 1929.

UNITE STA'EES;

rear Fries.

HERBERT L. THOMPSON; OE ELGINyILLINOIS; ASSIGNOB; BYJ ASSIGNMENTS, TO' ADDRESSQGRAIEH COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS; A-CORPORATION OF DE'fiAs WARE.

Application filed March 16, 1927.

This invention relates to that class. of printing machines which are generally re ferred to as addressing machines for printing addresses on envelopes and cards, and

which are now employed for doing many other kinds of work.

The object of the invention is, generally, to provide novel means of simple construc tion for automatically ejecting the printed matter from the machine immediately after the printing operation is completed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple attachment comprising few parts which can be readily applied to a printing. machine of the type suggested and which will operate automatically with a snap action to quickly eject the envelop or card'at one side of the machine after the printing operation is completed.

And a further object of the invention is to provide an attachment which can be readily applied to a printing machine and easily adjusted for ejecting envelopes or cards of different sizes. 6

In the accompanying drawings I have shown aselected embodiment of the invention and referring. thereto:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a part of a printing machine having the invention appliedthereto.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3is a front elevation of the invention, as shown in Fig. 2 the platen arm be ing omitted. I

4' i another front elevation, partly in section showing the parts in a different position.

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view.

The machine so far as it is illustrated in the drawings comprises a work support 8, anink ribbon 9 and a platen arm 10, the latter being pivotally mounted at 13 and carrying a platen (not shown) which engages and presses the envelop 11 against the ribbon 9 and a printing device in printing. position thereunder to obtain an impression of an addresson the envelop. A work gauge 12 forming-a stop guide for the top edge of the envelop is adjustably mounted on the bed 14 of the machine being provided with a rear-ward ext nsion 15 having a slot 16 EJ'ECTOR- FOR PRINTING. MACHINES.

Serial No. 175,787.

to receive a thumb screw 17. The exten sion 15 has guide studs 15 which travel in the slot 14 inthe bed and maintain. the gauge in proper position .to gauge the envelop squarely. in printing position.

The ejector attachment comprises a base 18 having a support 19 thereon provided with a bearing 20 for a transverse shaft 21. A rocker 22 is pivotally mounted on the shaft 21 and it is provided with a projection 22 which extends in the path of apin 10 on the platen arm 10 so that. the rocker is caused to rock forwardly on each down ward stroke of the platen arm. A yielding tripper 23 is carried. by the rocker 22 and it is arranged to engage the upturned end 2401 arod 25 which is arranged to slide in the base 18 of the ejector attachment. The

ejector 26 is in the form of an arm slidablv mounted on the threaded part 25 of the ejector rod and its rear end projects into the offset part 18 of the, base. The inner end 26 of the ejector arm is bent upon itself and spaced away from the main part of. the arm 26 and engaged with the threaded part 25 of the ejector rod. An angularly disposed spring 27 is secured at 28 in the bend where the end 26 connects with the main part of the ejector 26, and this spring also engages the threaded. part 25 of the ejector rod. The parts 26, 26 and 27 are provided with aligned openings to receive the ejector rod. Since the spring 27 engages the threaded portion 25 of the ejector rod at an angle to its length it will hold the ejector 26 in adjusted position. on the rod. The bent end 26 constitutes a guide for holding the ejector in a position normal to the rod. By pressing the end of the spring 27 to ward the ejector 26 the spring will be sufficiently disengaged from the rod to'permit the ejector t'obe adjusted lengthwise of the rod. When the spring is released it will engage the threads of the threaded portion 25" and will hold the ejector in adjusted position. i r 1 j The ,tripper is preferably made in the form ofa laminated spring, as shown, and m ans are provide for tQnicning he ,mally held in operative position with its 'lower end in advance of the tension guide,

when the platen arm is in its initial elevated position, Fig. 2, the tension device being held in this position by the spring 31. On the downward movement of the platen arm to make a printing impression the pin-10 engages the projection 22 and swings the rocker on its shaft 21 and moves the tripper from its normal inoperative position, Fig. 2, into engagement with the forward end of the tension guide, Fig. 3, and along said guide to the opening 30, Fig. 4. The lower end of the tripper is wider than the opening 30 so that it will bridge the opening in passing to the position shown in Fig. l where it is engaged with the rear end wal 30 of the opening while its front edge projects through the opening behind the front wall 30 of the opening, as shown clearly in Fig. 6. The tripper is in this position when the platen arm is in impression position. On the return movement of the platen arm, after the impression has been made, the pressure of pin 10 on the tripper rocker is released and the spring 31 swings the rocker back to its normal position. t will be observed that the tripper is engaged but slightly with the rear wall 80 of the opening in the tension guide at the limit of the rearwardtensioning movement of the tripper and therefore a very little forward movement of the rocker is required to release the tripper from the tension guide, whereupon it strikes the upturned'end 24 of the ejector rod and imparts to this rod a snap action which causes the ejector to eject the envelop, card or other work quickly at the left side of the machine. A spring 32 returns the ejector and ejector rod to initial position. The ejection of the work is preferably timed, as indicated in the drawings, to be effected immediately after the impression is made and during the initial movement of the platen arm on its return. stroke. This is desirable to clear the work support for another envelop'or card and to allow the maximum amount of time for manually feeding the envelopes. After the tripper actuates the ejector rod it will swing forwardly to normal position, Fig. 2. The parts are set so that on this forward movement of the tripper its lower end will engage the forward end of the tension guide and be slightly flexed in passing, so that the rear edge of the tripper, at the lower end thereof, will be positioned, when the tripper is in normal position, Fig. 2, to engage the right side of the tension guide, at the forward end thereof, and slide thereon when the tripper is swung through the tensioning operation to set position, Figs. 46, for the ejecting operation.

The invention is novel in construction, simple in operation, it comprises few parts which are easily adjusted and it operates efliciently to eject the envelop, card or other work from the machine with a quick snap action immediately after the printing impression is made and the platen arm begins its return stroke. The spring tripper is tensioned at each operation of the ejector and it is only at tension during the setting operation for actuating the ejector. The parts operate automatically and accomplish the ejection of the work in a simple and effective manner.

I have'shown and described the invention as applied to one type of addressing machine, but I reserve the right to change the form, construction. and arrangement of parts as may be necessary to adaptthe invention for other machines or tomeet other conditions, within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

lfMeans for ejecting the work from a printing machine comprising an eject0r, a flat snap spring tripper for actuating said ejector, and means for tensioning said tripper for each ejecting operation.

2. Means for ejecting the work from a printing machine comprising an ejector, a.

spring tripper, means for swinging said tripper in an arc to position for actuating said ejector, and means for tensioning said tripper during said swinging movement.

8. Means for ejecting the work from a printing machine comprising an ejector, a spring tripper, means for swinging said tripper in an arc to position for actuating said ejector, and a guide located in the path of said tripper to tension the tripper dur ing said swinging movement. I

4-. Means for ejecting the work from a printing machine comprising an ejector, a spring tripper, means for swinging said tripper in an arc to position for actuatlng said ejector, and an inclined guide arranged in the path of the free end of said tripper to tension the tripper during said swinging movement.

5. Means for ejecting the work from a printing machine comprising an ejector, a spring tripper, means for swinging, said tripper in an arc, and means for tensioning said tripper during said swinging movement, said means having a slot through which the end. of the tensioned tripper passes for actuating said ejector.

6. Means for ejecting the work from a printing machine comprising an ejector, a spring tripper, means for swinging said tripper in an arc, and means for tensioning said tripper during said swinging movement, said means having a slot of less width than the width of the free end of the tripper and through which the tripper passes edgewise for actuating said ejector.

7. Means for ejecting the work from a printing machine comprising a slide rod, an ejector carried by said rod, a fiat snap spring tripper, and means for tensioning said tripper to engage and actuate the slide rod and ejector.

8. Means for ejecting the work from a printing machine comprising a slide rod, an ejector carried by said rod, a flat snap spring tripper, means for tensioning said tripper and for holding the tripper tensioned until the printing operation is completed, and means for releasing said tripper to actuate said rod and ejector.

9. Means for ejecting the Work from a printing machine comprising an ejector, a spring tripper, means for swinging said tripper in an arc to position for actuating the ejector, an inclined guide arranged in the path of the free end of said tripper to tension the tripper during said swinging movement and to hold the tripper at tension, and means for releasing the tripper from the guide for actuating the ejector.

10. Means for ejecting the work from a printing machine comprising an ejector, a spring tripper, means for swinging said tripper in an arc to position for actuating said ejector, and an inclined guide arranged in the path of the free end of said tripper to tension the tripper during said swinging movement, said guide having a slot through which the free end of the tripper passes for actuating the ejector, and a slide rod arranged in the path of said tripper and carrying said ejector.

11. Means for ejecting the work from a printing machine comprising an ejector, a spring tripper, means for swinging said tripper in an arc to position for actuating said ejector, and an inclined guide arranged in the path of the tripper for tensioning the tripper during its rearward swinging movement, the front end of the guide being arranged in the path of the tripper on its forward swinging movement.

12. Means for ejecting the work from a printing machine comprising a slide rod, an ejector adjustable on the rod, an angularly disposed spring carried by the tripper and engaging the rod to hold the ejector in adjusted position, and means for operating the rod and ejector.

13. Means for ejecting the work from a printing machine comprising a slide rod having a threaded portion. an ejector-adjustably mounted on said threaded portion of the rod, a spring carried by said ejector and angularly disposed to said rod to engage the threaded portion thereof for holding the ejector in adjusted position on the rod, and

means for operating the rod and ejector.

14. The combination with the platen arm of a printing machine, an ejector, a spring tripper, a tensioning device, and means operated by the platen arm for swinging said tripper in to operative engagement with the tensioning device to tension the tripper for actuating the ejector.

15. The combination with the platen arm of a printing machine, of an ejector for ejecting the work from the machine, a rocker, a tensioning device, a spring tripper carried by said rocker and adapted to engage said tensioning device for tensioning the tripper, said tripper being adapted to actuate the ejector, and means on the platen arm for swinging said rocker and tripper.

HERBERT L. THOMPSON. 

